bil.png)
Archive Record
Images
Metadata
Object ID |
2024.3.7 |
Object Name |
Video Recording |
Title |
Harry Jerome We Will Do Better Conversation Starter |
Scope & Content |
Harry Jerome We Will Do Better Conversation Starter, 2020, Born Digital MP4, viewing time 00:02:46. We Will Do Better: Develop racism awareness and spark conversations about racism by listening to the stories of how Hall of Famers overcame the challenges of racism in their sporting career. These vidoes created by Canada's Sports Hall of Fame in partnership with TSN and Quantum Media House share these stories. Transcript: As Canada's national museum of sport, we have a platform and an obligation to amplify Black voices, and share the lived experiences of Black Hall of Famers. Today we bring you the story of Sprinter, Harry Jerome. According to teammate and fellow Hall of Famer Bill Crothers, Jerome was "a world-class athlete, a world record holder, at a time when Canada wasn't known for track and field." Harry Jerome set multiple world records in both individual races and relay, claiming a bronze medal at the 1964 Olympic Games in Tokyo, and a gold medal at both the 1966 Commonwealth Games and the 1967 Pan-American Games. Despite this success, Jerome faced relentless racism throughout his career. As he trained and attended school at the University of Oregon, he fought against racism and prejudice by wearing his singlet inside out displaying "NOGERO" across his chest, expressing his pride as a Black man. Tearing his hamstring at the 1960 Olympic Games in Rome and later tearing his quad at the 1962 British Empire and Commonwealth Games, he was labelled a "quitter" despite the severity of these injuries. Jerome advocated for more visible minorities on television and in advertisements, and as a result often faced increased discrimination and racism. As described by his sister, Valerie Jerome, stating "Much of the press still always saw him as a Black boy, he wasn't a man without the necessary descriptor of what his skin looked like." Despite the prejudice he faced, Harry Jerome devoted his life to amateur sport. Through the Federal Fitness and Amateur Sports Directorate he set up cross country sports clinics with the aim of getting more youth involved in sport, and he also became involved in the Premier's Sport Awards program that helped to incentivize youth to stay in sport. Although he was underappreciated throughout his entire sporting career, Jerome was celebrated in many ways after his death. He was honoured with a Statue on the Stanley Park Sea Wall in Vancouver, and "The Harry Jerome Award" was created in his honour for Black athletes, to celebrate the fact that "Rare Individuals deserve a special kind of salute." Harry Jerome's legacy lives on through the annual Vancouver track event called the "Harry Jerome International Track Classic" We CAN do better, we WILL do better. |
Year Range from |
2020 |
Year Range to |
2020 |
People |
Jerome, Harry |
Search Terms |
1960 Olympic Games Rome 1964 Olympic Games Tokyo 1966 British Empire and Commonwealth Games Kingston 1967 Pan American Games Winnipeg Athlete Conversation Starter Racism Awareness Track and Field We Will Do Better |